[The following two articles deal with one of Madame Blavatsky's occult
phenomena
involving a glove psychically transported from Bombay to London.
The recipient of the glove in London was C.C. Massey.---Editor.]

Theosophic Thaumaturgy---A Startling Story(Communicated.)

[First published in The Bombay Gazette, March 31st, 1879, p.3.]

Strange stories have, for several years, been rife in the American newspapers about
the marvels of thaumaturgy wrought by the Countess Blavatsky, one of the Theosophical
party now in Bombay. If they are credible, the inference would be that a Simon Magus in
petticoats had arisen in our days. Some of them stagger belief, as for instance, her
causing music to float through the air in the absence of any comprehensible cause, the
instantaneous duplication of documents and articles of clothing, the causing of
inscriptions in golden letters, in Oriental texts, to appear and disappear on the
furniture, the rendering of herself invisible, the production of paintings and writings on
paper by the mere placing of her palm upon the same. Yet all these phenomena and many
equally strange have been attested by numbers of eye-witnesses, not theosophists nor even
always previous acquaintances. Of one of her magical pictures--the portrait of an Indian yogi,---Thomas
LeClear, an eminent American painter, and William R. O'Donovan, an equally distinguished
sculptor, affirmed in a London journal, that no living artist could, in their opinion,
equal it in vigour, breadth, and uniqueness, while they were both unable to decide upon
the nature of the colouring substance employed in the manner of its application.

Since her arrival here, the lady has been very chary of exhibiting her rare powers, but
two instances have come to our hearing. These two are, however, strong enough to excite
astonishment. The first was the instantaneous substitution of one name, in thread
embroidery, on a fine handkerchief, for another one that was previously there. The feat
was done under the very eyes of an Assistant Magistrate and the Collector of the N. W. P.
who had been a fellow-passenger with the Theosophical party on the voyage hither. In fact,
he held one corner of the handkerchief while the change was made, and there was a roomful
of native gentlemen as on-lookers, besides. The second fact was even more miraculous.
Before leaving London she was requested by an English barrister, President of the British
Theosophical Society and the son of a Liberal M.P., whose name is well known throughout
India, to give relief to his father's eyesight, now seriously injured. She said that upon
reaching India she would try, but it being necessary to establish an electrical and.
magnetic current between herself and the patient, she must have some article of
wearing apparel or other object that had. been in close and frequent contact with his
person. A pair of gloves was given her, which were put into an envelope and brought intact
to India. On the 17th inst., the day after her arrival, they were taken by her from her
box and in the presence of Col. Olcott, to whom she declared her intention to send one of
them to the London friend. She laid the two gloves on the table in the drawing room and
locked the door. This was the last that Col. Olcott saw the gloves, as he informs us. But
by the last Overland Mail came the sequel. A letter from the barrister, dated London 18th
February, says, that on getting to his chambers in the Temple the day beforethe
17thhe found a telegram from a certain lady of good education and the highest
respectability, who is what is termed a powerful "medium", but above suspicion
of trickery, to be at her house at 6 p.m., as her familiar "spirit" has a
message for him from Madame Blavatsky. He was punctual to the appointment, and was
received by the lady and her husband, who presently ushered him into a darkened
room. What happened we will let the barrister himself describe. "Truth to
say," he remarks, "I did not expect much, but prompt to the appointment the
'spirit' came, loading the air with sweet perfume, and commencing the interview (which did
not last live minutes) by flinging something light and soft in my facea good shot in
the dark. From this proceeded the perfume aforesaid. Directly I handled it I knew what was
up, without being told. The glove! the glove! from you, from Bombay,
when the papers had already informed us your ship arrived on Sunday, two days ago.
What can I saywhat think? The well-known signature on the inside of the kid, in the
well-known blue writing and the less known and less decipherable symbols above
it." The witnesses in this case are unimpeachable, and we really do not know what is
to be said of this new trans-atmospheric mail service. The remaining glove or what
purports to be such, has been kindly given to a gentleman in Bombay to dispose of as he
may elect, and will be sent to London for comparison with its mate, whose flight through
space makes the boast of Puck, in that he would "put a girdle round the earth within
twenty minutes," seem something more than poetic license.

Theosophic Thaumaturgy

( First published in The Bombay Gazette, May 31st, 1879, p. 2.)

Our readers will no doubt recollect the article on "Theosophic Thaumaturgy",
which appeared in the Bombay Gazette of March 31st. To-day we have the sequel in
the form of a letter from the English barrister who received the glove. The moderation of
his tone in speaking of the value of the affair as proof of an occult force in nature is
highly commendable. Whatever we may or may not think respecting "magic," it is
at least a comfort to know that the witnesses in this case are so trustworthy. We regret
that pain should have been given by the publication of the article in question, especially
as we are entirely persuaded that its author was quite ignorant that he was committing any
indiscretion in furnishing us the facts.

To The Editor of the "Bombay
Gazette".

Sir, Having read an account published in your paper of the 31st of March last,
relating to the instantaneous transmission of a glove from Bombay to London by H. P.
Blavatsky, and received by me through the mediumship of a lady in the latter city, I beg
to state that the circumstances, so far as I can avouch them, are correctly set forth in
that account. I wish to add, however, that my father, who is alluded to, was not a party
to the experiment, having no faith in the powers which I desired to call into requisition
for his sight (which is not seriously "impaired.")

It is obvious that the whole force of the evidence depends on the improbability,
however any one may estimate that, of previous collusion between Madame Blavatsky and the
other lady, for the purpose of a stupid and shameful imposture. That being assumed, there
was, of course, nothing to prevent the gloves being matched in London before the departure
of Madame Blavatsky, the new pair being worn till they resembled the original in
appearance of use, and one of the latter, with the inscribed characters, being left with
the medium in London, with a prearrangement as to the time and manner of its production to
me. The telegraphic announcement of the arrival of the ship at Bombay would of course make
this part of the imagined scheme perfectly easy.

Having said this much, out of a professional regard to the value of evidence, I desire
to state most emphatically that my intimate acquaintance with both these ladies, and
previous experiences of Madame Blavatsky's extraordinary powers, enable me to reject these
suggested suppositions without hesitation. But in as much as the general public have not
this knowledge and experience of the parties, I consider the publication of these facts to
have been ill-advised, as I have already explained in English papers which have commented
upon them in the strain which might have been expected. I enclose my name and
address for your own satisfaction, and beg to remain, Sir, your obedient servant,